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Harness Racing's $100 Million, Bionic Man

Posted by
Bob Heyden
on
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 4:32 PM

Tim Tetrick the YOUNGEST EVER To Enter $100 Million Driving Club

As a surprise to no one-Tom Tetrick recently became the youngest ever driver to enter the $100 Million Driving Club at age 29. He won't be 30 until November 22, and hit the magic number 6 YEARS earlier than John Campbell did in 1991 when he piloted Armbro Keepsake in the Breeders Crown to become the sports first ever $100 Million driver-doing so at age 36.

Tim-for the 5th straight season-was the first to reach the $10 million milestone for the year-and is looking for his 5th straight money title-John Campbell (again) the last to do so. Four of the five biggest single-$$ campaigns in the sports history belong to Tim.

1) 2008 $19,752,066

2) 2007 $18,350,047

3) BRIAN SEARS 2008 $16,667,090

4) 2010 $16,485,409

5) 2009 $116,296,672

Tim has moved up the ladder from #16 to #12 already this season-and his total for JUST the past five seasons alone (2007-2011) is an incredible $81 million and counting. He's already the youngest driver to EVER win a Million $ race-2007 Rooney at Yonkers-Age 25 years 7 months. He's the ONLY driver to win the Meadowlands Pace in two of his first four tries.

Females In The Triple Crown

See You At Peelers may have seen her winning streak come to an end, but she'll still may be on a collision course with the boys in the Little Brown Jug. If she does go-well-check out the following lists concerning ladies in the Triple Crown events versus their male conterparts.

433 Total Triple Crown events (416 For their Thoroughbred counterparts)

176 PACING Triple Crown Events heading to this years Cane-Jug-Messenger

Just 4 of those 176 were taken by the ladies:

1981 JUG-Fan Hanover

1960 CANE Countess Adios

1956 MESSENGER Belle Acton 1960 MESSENGER Countess Adios

257 Total Trotting Triple Crown events-

51 of those 257 have been taken by a female 19.8%The LAST female to attempt to win a Triple Crown event was also a Jimmy Takter trainee-Pampered Priness-2007-in the Hambletonian to no avail.

The last female to HIT THE BOARD in a PACING Triple Crown affair was H H Shadow in 1986-second in the Cane. 11 years prior to that-Tarport Hap was third in the Cane Pace.

NO female has tried her luck in the Jug since Fan Hanover in 1981

165 horses have hit the board in the Messenger since it began in 1956-NONE are female! This is the ONLY Triple Crown race-trotter or pacer-that has not had a lady on board.

The last female to win the Yonkers Trot and the Jug BOTH were named Horse Of The Year-1996-Continentalvictory and 1981 Fan Hanover.

2011 Meadowlands Meet Highlights

Ron Pierce winning the Meadowlands Pace-Roll With Joe-and become the first driver EVER to win the Hambletonian Or The Meadowlands Pace five STRAIGHT YEARS!

Ron Pierce's Pace win was the 6th STRAIGHT year he's won a Million $ race-breaking a tie he co/held with John Campbell.

1:47.2 by We Will See on Hambo Day tied the world record for 4 Year Olds

1:50.2 by Arch Madness set the track record for an Older Trotting gelding in the Titan Cup

Ed Hart-a Meadowlands regular since Day One-wins his first ever Million $ race (Roll With Joe) and Sweetheart (Pirouette Hanover)

George Brennan becomes the second driver in Meadowlands history (Sears-2009) to win BOTH the Hambletonian and the Hambletonian Oaks in the same year

George Also became the ninth DIFFERENT driver in harness racing history to post a $1 MILLION DAY!

Alexie Mattosie became the second horse to EVER capture the Presidential AND the William Haughton in a single Meadowlands season (Red Bow Tie-1999)

John Campbell became historys first driver EVER to surpass $275 Million career

Ron Pierce became the third driver EVER to surge past $175 Million lifetime

Dave Miller finished up the Meadowlands meet strong and is en route to his record 10th $10 Million campaign-that would be a new all-time best breaking the tie he entered the season with that John Campbell and he had.

20 YO Montrelle Teague (Custard The Dragon) became the youngest driver-NOT just in Meadowlands history but anywhere-to compete in a Million $ Race in this years Meadowlands Pace-he was two months younger than Richie Silverman who held the mark at 20 years 9 months in 1985 in the Wilson when he was second in the $1,344,000 a scant head behind Grade One

The TWELVE Fastest EVER MIllion $ Races List-EIGHT Of The Twelve Were Contested At The Meadowlands

33 Year Old Fan Hanover passed away-THE Oldest Horse Of The Year (Harness or Thoroughbred) at the time of her passing. The 1981 Horse Of The Year-and the ONLY filly to win the Little Brown Jug-she was a $20,000 yearling daughter of Albatross purchased by Dr Glen Brown. She competed regularly at the Meadowlands as a 4 Year Old-Mostly against the boys. Dr. Brown, "It was not easy on her to compete against the boys at 4-after a few tries there-Joe DeFrank would put her back in with the mares and she'd win. She was a great mare-and one of her early foals was named Stature-and he became a pretty prominent stallion down under. The decision to race her in the Jug as opposed to the Jugette was mine. I told Glen Garnsey that year the Jug-I figured this would be my only chance I'd ever get to race in the Jug." Fan Hanover's 1981 HOY season of 23 17-3-1 $497,717 catapulted Glen Garnsey as one of just four trainers in harness racing history to have BOTH a Male AND a female Horse Of The Year (Clint Hodgins, Joe O'Brien and Jimmy Takter the others)

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BobHeyden

Bob "Hollywood" Heyden has been the Meadowlands Racetrack's statistician and handicapper since 1984. He appears nightly on "Racing from the Meadowlands" recap show on SNY and conducts all winner's circle interviews. "Holly News and Notes" are a must read for little known facts and important historical racing data.